Bruins snap losing skid stretching to 2015

BRADENTON

John Biezuns told his Bayshore High football team it had nothing to lose prior to Thursday’s game against Wauchula Hardee.

He told the Bruins the same thing during the game’s final minute. This time, however, he used action over words.

Biezuns went for the win following a 2-yard touchdown run from Corey Vonborstel, choosing a 2-point conversion attempt over a point-after kick with 52 seconds to play. The moved worked — quarterback Brian Coleman faked a handoff, sprinted around the left end, and stretched into the end zone for two points.

Moments later, the Bruins were celebrating an 8-7 win over the Wildcats. It was Bayshore’s first win since Nov. 6, 2015, and the first under Biezuns, who was hired prior to last season.

“Every team you play is quality and every team has a chance to win,” Biezuns said. “But the Southeasts and the Hardees, if you can knock one of those off, you’ve done something. Because those are teams, year in and year out, that are district title teams, teams that have a chance to go far in the playoffs.”

The win was made possible in part to Bayshore’s defense, which recovered two fumbles, including a big one from Kenneth Wright with a little over four minutes to play that gave the Bruins the ball on Hardee’s 23.

“Defense stepped up,” said Wright, a senior and middle linebacker. “I’m just glad we all came together instead of falling apart like we usually do.”

Hardee (4-3, 2-1) inflicted some damage on itself, as well, totaling 129 penalty yards, including three personal fouls in the third quarter. The Wildcats got inside Bayshore’s 10-yard line on their first drive of the second half before penalties backed them up to the 48. Hardee wound up missing a 48-yard field goal attempt. And Hardee missed a chance to seal the game when a bad snap ruined a 21-yard field goal attempt with less than nine minutes to play.

The Bruins (1-4, 1-2 Class 5A-District 11) limited to Hardee quarterback Kai Washington to 68 yards of rushing, sacking him twice. Washington entered averaging more than 114 rushing yards per game.

“He is, by far, the best hire that I’ve had,” Biezuns said of Jamaal Sanders, Bayshore’s defensive coordinator. ‘I’ve got a great staff. My staff is much improved from a year ago. But coach Sanders, what can you not say about him? We’re always in it.”

Hardee had one final shot, getting the ball on its own 35 with 47 seconds to play, but stalled on Bayshore’s 41. The Wildcats are now 2-1 in the district and host Southeast next week. The Seminoles are 2-0 heading into their game against Lemon Bay on Friday night.

The Bruins will look to further the momentum next Friday when they host Arcadia DeSoto County.

“We’ve got nothing to lose — that was speech to the guys before the game,” Biezuns said. “To go for two, no-brainer.”